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Television News

Knocking local TV news is nothing new. In the race for ratings, civic affairs and public policy were left behind long ago. But now, even the networks are taking heat for such journalistic offenses as treating their prime-time programs as newsworthy topics. We look at the line any more between entertainment and news and consider whether contemporary electronic journalism is a threat to Democracy or part of a well-established American tradition. Newsmaker: A gas station owner in Southern California says the Chevron and Shell companies have warned him to get ready for prices to rise to 3 dollars a gallon. The companies deny it, but the station owner is being widely quoted in news reports around the country. We talk with Alex Barrio-Nuevo, energy reporter for the Wall Street Journal. Reporter's Notebook: Clifton Keith Hillegass was a lover of literature, but he gave his name to "Cliff Notes"-brief plot summaries of lengthy classics-resorted to by generations of students, but deplored by high-school teachers and college professors. Clifton Keith Hillegass died of a stroke this weekend at the age of 83. Mark Crispin Miller talks about the legacy.

FROM THIS EPISODE

Knocking local TV news is nothing new. In the race for ratings, civic affairs and public policy were left behind long ago. But now, even the networks are taking heat for such journalistic offenses as treating their prime-time programs as newsworthy topics. We look at the line any more between entertainment and news and consider whether contemporary electronic journalism is a threat to Democracy or part of a well-established American tradition.

Newsmaker: A gas station owner in Southern California says the Chevron and Shell companies have warned him to get ready for prices to rise to 3 dollars a gallon. The companies deny it, but the station owner is being widely quoted in news reports around the country. We talk with Alex Barrio-Nuevo, energy reporter for the Wall Street Journal.

Reporter's Notebook: Clifton Keith Hillegass was a lover of literature, but he gave his name to "Cliff Notes"-brief plot summaries of lengthy classics-resorted to by generations of students, but deplored by high-school teachers and college professors. Clifton Keith Hillegass died of a stroke this weekend at the age of 83. Mark Crispin Miller talks about the legacy.